Joshua 19

Var. 1—48.** From this and the seven preceding chapters it appears that the land of Canaan, into the possession of which Moses and Joshua put the Israelites, was pleasantly diversified with mountains and valleys, and well watered with a multitude of small rivers and brooks, which emptied themselves into the Mediterranean sea on the west; or into Jordan, which, taking its rise in mount Lebanon, at the north of the promised land, ran southward; and, after forming the two lakes of Merom and 3 Chinnereth, or Tiberias, in its course, at last emptied itself into the Dead sea, into which the country about Sodea was transformed, and which had no visible outlet. The length of Canaan, from Beersheba on the south to Dan on the north, was about one hundred and eighty miles. Its greatest breadth, from the Mediterranean sea to the river Jordan, was about fifty miles; and about thirty more to the eastern boundary of the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites. On the east of Jordan, over against the territory of Benjamin and Ephraim, the Reubenites had their inheritance in a tract, including the mountains of Peor, Nebo, and Pisgah. On their north side lay the inheritance of the Gadites, in a soil more plain and fertile. Northward of Gad was seated the half tribe of Manasseh, in that which was afterwards called Upper Galilee, or Galilee of the Gentiles, which was almost as large as both the two former portions. On the west side of Jordan, or rather the Dead Sea, lay the extensive inheritance of Judah. On the south-west hereof was the lot of Simeon; and on the north-west the lot of Dan. Eastward of the Danites, and northward of Judah, was the inheritance of Benjamin. The lot of the Ephraimites lay all along on the north of these of Dan and Benjamin. Next was the lot of the other half tribe of Manasseh; and northward of them the inheritance of Issachar; and next to them was that of Zebulun. Each of these four last portions extended from Jordan on the east to the Mediterranean sea on the west. Northward of Zebulun the tribe of Asher had their inheritance, in the north-west of Canaan. The Naphtalites had their portion between the lot of Asher and the north end of the river Jordan. The Tyrians and Zidonians kept possession of a part of Canaan on the north-west of the Asherites. The Philistines kept possession of a narrow strip of territory on the west of the Simeonites and Danites. Egypt lay to the south-west of Canaan; Idumea on the south border of the lot of Judah; and still more southward was the country of the Amalekites and Arabians. On the east of the Dead sea, and southward of the Reubenites, was the territory of the Midianites and Moabites. North-east of the Moabites, and eastward of the Reubenites, Gadites, and Manassites, dwelt the Ammonites and the Hagarenes; and still eastward of these, beyond a large desert, and by the river Euphrates, the Chaldeans on the south, and Mesopotamia on the north. Persia was on the east and south-east of Chaldea, and Assyria on the east of Mesopotamia. North-east of Persia lay Media; and north of Assyria were Armenia, Cappadocia, Pontus, &c. On the north-east of Canaan lay Syria; on the north of which was Lesser Asia, which contained Mysia, Lydia, Ionia, and Caria, on the east shore of the Mediterranean sea; on the east of which were Bithynia, Phrygia, Pisidia, Pamphylia, Lycia; and, still further east, Paphlagonia, Galatia, and Lyceonia, which bordered on the east, with Pontus, Cappadocia, and Armenia. To the north-west of Lesser Asia, but on the north side of the Mediterranean sea, lay the countries of Greece and Rome; the former of which is about eight hundred and fifty, and the latter one thousand two hundred miles north-west of Jerusalem. A careful attention to this note will be of use to assist the reader in understanding the parts of scripture history

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. XIX.—It is useful and becoming when men look upon, and care for, the things of others as well as their own, and give to such as lack a share out of their superfluity, or even sufficiency. And it is a mercy to be connected with those who are in covenant with God, and closely devoted to his service, though our outward accommodations should be smaller. For rare is that lot on earth in which there is not somewhat remarkable by an accurate observer of providence. But it is honourable when rulers, who do most for their people, covet least from them, and prefer the happy settlement of their subjects to their own